For many they’re as close as children; for some they may be our only children. And while most of us can expect that our children will outlive us, sadly, our pets almost never do.Losing a pet can be as difficult as losing any other family member; we grieve, we miss them, and, mostly, we want closure, to know that our furry, feathered, or scaled friends are okay, wherever they are.For years, animal communicator Sonya Fitzpatrick has helped pet owners cope with the loss of their beloved companions. Many of them ask the same questions: Is my pet happy? Why did this happen? Is it okay to get another pet? Using her personal experiences as well as the stories of the families she’s worked with, Sonya sheds some light on the questions that every grieving pet owner has, and assures the reader that there are, in fact, no sad dogs (or cats or birds or turtles or horses or cows) in heaven.

    You will enjoy every page of this heartwarming journey through the lives of the very precocious Sasha; the devoted, but not too smart Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix, Squirt; the enduring pack-leader and CJ's husband, Mel; and CJ, the woman who loves them all with every fiber of her being.  All animal lovers understand that each pet that comes into our lives is special but that sometimes you are blessed with an extraordinary animal.  For CJ that was Sasha.  This memoir is about a cycle of life involving family, friends, paralysis, other pets, aging and loss. When faced with the possibility of euthanizing a 4-year-old Sasha, a desperate CJ turns to holistic veterinary medicine and acupuncture to save her Extraordinary Dachshund and learns how to use this "alternative medicine" to complement traditional veterinary medicine. Be prepared to laugh out loud, wonder and learn something new.  ENJOY!!

    Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them—more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation. John’s ingenuity and tenacity as a researcher are as impressive as Chaser’s accomplishments. His groundbreaking approach has opened the door to a new understanding of animal intelligence, one that requires us to reconsider what actually goes on in a dog’s mind. Chaser’s achievements reveal her use of deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving skills to address novel challenges. Yet astonishingly, Chaser isn’t unique. John’s training methods can be adopted by any dog lover. Through the poignant story of how he trained Chaser, raised her as a member of the Pilley family, and proved her abilities to the scientific community, he reveals the positive impact of incorporating learning into play and more effectively channeling a dog’s natural drives. John’s work with Chaser offers a fresh perspective on what’s possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. His story points us toward a new way of relating to our canine companions that takes into account our evolving understanding of the way animals and humans learn.

    Describes basic methods of training a dog, covering such topics as using a clicker, housebreaking, and controlling unwanted behavior, and includes instructions on how to train a dog to do tricks.

    From tail wagging to growling, from play bowing to lip licking, this fascinating book explains why your dog behaves the way he does. What Is My Dog Thinking? covers six major aspects of dog behavior: the importance of hierarchy, food and fitness, staying safe, reproduction, social behavior, and people and dogs.

    In fact, nearly three times as many Labs were registered in 2002 than any other breed. The Everything Labrador Retriever Book is the perfect introduction to America’s most popular pet. Written by dog expert Kim Campbell Thornton, The Everything Labrador Retriever Book is packed with professional, breed-specific advice that helps readers raise, care for, and train their Lab safely and successfully. Packed full of photos showing Labs in action, The Everything Labrador Retriever Book is perfect for new and seasoned dog owners!

    And when an accident or other emergency threatens your pet, every minute counts. Don't be unprepared! Open The First-Aid Companion for Dogs and Cats and learn:* Basic first-aid techniques, such as cleaning a wound, making a splint, and performing CPR-- step-by-step!* Which over-the-counter human medications can help-- or harm-- your dog or cat* What to keep in your pet's medicine chest (many essential items are probably in your house already!)* How to quickly pinpoint what's wrong with your pet, using the First-Aid Symptom FinderPlus, you'll discover a comprehensive A-to-Z guide to more than 150 common-- and not-so-common-- injuries and conditions, including:* Abscesses (page 60)* Bites from Animals (page 90)* Car Accidents (page 117)* Choking (page 131)* Gunshot Wounds (page 224)* Heatstroke (page 237)* Hot Spots (page 245)* Jellyfish Stings (page 269)* Poisoning (page 311)* Snakebites (page 350)Each at-a-glance entry tells you when to call the vet, which supplies or medications you'll need, what immediate action you should take, and what you should do as follow-up care.By knowing what to do in an emergency and then acting quickly and confidently to take the proper steps, you could save your pet's life. The next time medical help is not quickly available, reach for The First-Aid Companion for Dogs and Cats. It's a pet owner's second best friend.

    They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle's native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in.A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle's Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.

    Practical, engrossing, and full of fascinating stories about Pryor’s interactions with animals of all sorts, Reaching the Animal Mind presents the sum total of her life’s work. She explains the science behind clicker training, how and why it works, and offers step-by-step instructions on how you can clicker-train any animal in your life. For bonus video clips, slide shows, articles, downloadable exercises, and links expanding on the contents of the book, go to ReachingtheAnimalMind.com.

    Natural food can enable dogs to live longer, healthier lives, just as it can for humans, and with these meals, treats, and cookies, dogs will never miss commercial kibble.Rick has researched nutrition for dogs and has used the same manuals veterinarians use to develop his recipes. Feed Your Best Friend Better makes the transition to homemade dog food simple, so you can make natural food for your dog every day. From nutritional value to portion sizes, these recipes will help owners know what their dog is eating. The meals are healthy, and dogs love them.Rick Woodford wants dogs in every family to be healthy and happy. His recipes use a variety of herbs and spices for their antioxidant properties but they smell so good everybody in the house will be drooling. Recipes include:* Puppy Pesto* Bacon Yappetizers* Barkscotti* Mutt Loaf* Gingerbread MailmanIn addition to 85 recipes other helpful chapters include:* How to Pick out a Commercial Food; making the ingredient label easy to understand with a breakdown of ingredients that are good for the bowl and those that are best left on the shelf.* Determining Portion Size; information on body type and size help readers understand how much food their dogs need to be in the best shape* Problem Mealtime Behaviors; how to deal with the early morning wake up call, reluctant eaters, counter surfing and more

    Bite Me is a book that will have you laughing out loud, will have you crying until your nose runs, and will have you wondering out loud, “Am I really reading the autobiography of a cat?”Yes. Yes, you are.This is the book Max’s readers have been asking for–from the moment the Younger Human brought him home, through the tortures of the M-Word, living with a dog, and then with Basement Kitty Buddah–this is Max Thompson’s memoirs, in his own words.Sort of.

     What do we learn from our dogs? Everything. Our dogs make us better people. If we rescued them, they rescue us back. If we’re sad, they comfort us. If we need to have more fun, they show us how. They are our protectors, our role models, and our best friends. You’ll laugh a lot, tear up at times, and nod your head in recognition as you read these tales about the wonderful experience of sharing life with a dog. Life lessons from our dogs come in many forms, from the hilarious to the heroic. You’ll enjoy a wide variety in these 101 entertaining stories.

    The question is are you training it for good or are you training it for bad. Training starts before training starts. How you live with your dog dictates how your dog lives with you. They learn from everything we do, good and bad. They miss nothing. They know us better than we know ourselves. They learn from everything we don't do. Obedience commands don't create a well behaved dog. Raising a dog and teaching along the way does. No parent says they are going outside to train their kids. We just raise them and teach them 24 hours a day and try to provide guidance so eventually our children can make the right decisions on their own. Dogs are no different. Live right with them. They are not children. They are animals and must be respected as such. And they are a precious gift that are not here long enough so enjoy every minute and never take them for granted.

    At last, here's the one-stop bible that acknowledges their special needs and covers every detail of daily life. In chapters reviewed by experts in veterinary medicine, nutrition, and training, pet parents will learn:Where to find your perfect canine companionAll about breeds and mixed breeds and how you can adopt any type of dogSmart guidelines for adoption successRealistic expenses of dog careWhat to expect when you bring your new pup home (and long after)How to prevent runaways and protect your dog from all types of harmClicker, target stick, and other re-training methodsHumane ways to modify undesirable behaviorsHow to introduce new diets and take the guesswork out of feedingHolistic and conventional medical treatmentsDaily hygiene and caring for your sick pup inside and outThe impact of travel and changes at homeWhat to do when it's time to say good-byePlus recipes, doggy workouts, heartwarming true stories of adopted dogs and their happy parents, information on saving dogs on a larger scale, and much, much more!

    Today, they are family members and surrogate children. A little over a century ago, pets didn't warrant the meager legal status of property. Now, they have more rights and protections than any other animal in the country. Some say they're even on the verge of becoming legal persons.How did we get here—and what happens next?In this fascinating exploration of the changing status of dogs and cats in society, pet lover and award-winning journalist David Grimm traces the rich and surprising history of our favorite companion animals, from their wild origins to their dark days in the middle ages to their current standing as the most valued animals on Earth. As he travels across the country—riding along with Los Angeles detectives as they investigate animal cruelty cases, touring the devastation of New Orleans as he searches for the animal survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and coming face to face with wolves and feral cats—Grimm explores the changing social attitudes that have transformed pets into family members, and the remarkable laws and court cases that have elevated them to quasi citizens.The journey to citizenship isn't a smooth one, however. As Grimm finds, there's plenty of opposition to the rising status of cats and dogs. From scientists and farmers worried that our affection for pets could spill over to lab rats and livestock to philosophers who say the only way to save society is to wipe cats and dogs from the face of the earth, the battle lines are being drawn. We are entering a new age of pets-one that will not only fundamentally change our relationship with these animals, but transform society itself.For pet lovers or anyone interested in how we decide who gets the coveted status of "person", Citizen Canine is a must read. It is a pet book like no other.